General Electricity Company of Libya (Gecol) has received final approval for its selection of contractor to install transmission lines and several substations in the country.

Libya’s General People’s Committee has given its consent to Gecol’s choice of Russia’s Technologies, Investments, Services, Energy (Tise) to complete two electricity transmission packages.

The first package is for the installation of 1,290 kilometres of 400kV transmission lines. The contract is worth LD586m ($470m) and will be paid to Tise as €253.3m ($342m) and $123.5m.

The second package is for the installation of several substations with capacities of 40,220 and 400kV. This contract is worth LD648m and will be paid as €327.7m and $50m.

Libya intends to improve its electricity transmission network significantly to facilitate the connection of the country with its neighbours and through them to southern Europe

Tise, a closed joint stock company, which was set up in 2003, develops energy and infrastructure projects at home and abroad. It was founded by three state companies – Zarubezhneft, Technopromexport and Zarubezhneftegaz (a subsidiary of oil and gas major Gazprom) – and two private companies, Zarubezhstroymontazh and Soglasye.

Libya intends to improve its electricity transmission network significantly to facilitate the connection of the country with its neighbours and through them to southern Europe. The Libyan and Egyptian networks have been linked on the 220kV level since May 1998, but a 400kV link will be needed to connect Libya with Algeria and Tunisia.